


We're Not Alright

by ConfusedPython



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: M/M, Malum Friendship, Minor Angst, Post Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 01:19:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15474330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfusedPython/pseuds/ConfusedPython
Summary: Break ups are hard. But friends can make the pain a little easier to bear.Set late 2015/ early 2016 ish





	We're Not Alright

Michael never thought things would end up this way.

The realist in him had paid attention when Ashton had told him that dating Luke might not end as well as he hoped it would. But the dreamer just wanted to enjoy the time he had.

But now he had three weeks of sitting around at his parent's house playing video games alone, because Luke was over in LA and had made it quite clear that he didn't want to hear from Michael until the whole band was back together. Which was probably a good idea. It meant that their friends wouldn't let them get distracted by each other when they had to work. But it also meant that Luke had no intention of replying to any of Micheal's messages, which hurt in a way that Michael hadn't thought was possible. It was a deep ache in his chest that not even his mothers hugs were tight enough or warm enough to reach.

 

 

 

Micheal didn't have a place yet in LA when he flew over there to start rehearsals again with the rest of his band, but Calum had offered to pick him up and let him crash in the spare room before they all left to start the next tour.

Micheal was glad that for the first day Calum let him sleep off the jet lag, but the very next day Ashton bashed down the door around lunch time and Calum didn't look surprised in the least, so Micheal was _almost_ prepared for it when Ashton started dancing around the hard questions.

“So how did you spend your break?” Ashton asked gently, starting slowly.

“Sat around playing video games,” Micheal replied flatly and continued before Ashton could roll his eyes, “It was nice to just relax like we used to before everything got hectic.”

They both chuckled but didn't comment for another couple of minutes.

“You know we're both here for you,” Ashton said quietly, “I mean, we're not like, picking sides, but you are our friend and we want you to be happy.”

Michael sighed and refused to look either of them in the eye.

“I'm fine. We've had some space during the break and we'll be fine for practice tomorrow.” It sounded like a lie and maybe it was, but it was all that was stopping Michael from freaking out about seeing Luke again for the first time since their break up.

Ashton nodded like he was happy with what Michael said, but he knew that Calum still had his suspicions. The two of them had been friends since forever, so Michael knew that Calum would voice his concerns quietly and gently later. Although given how direct Ashton had been, Michael didn't think Cal would give him the usual few days to cool down, then again isn't that what Michael had been doing when he'd been hiding away in his parents house on the other side of the world?

So after dinner that night, which was just Calum and Michael, Michael didn't go straight to bed like he desperately wanted to, for more than one reason, but shared the couch with Calum until Cal starts to say his piece.

They were sitting in silence during the ad break about halfway through some generic early 2000's action movie when Calum spoke up.

“Mikey,” he sighed, “I know you don't want to hear any of this, so you don't have to say anything, just hear me out.

“I know that things are going to be awkward between you and Luke for the next little while while the two of you figure out where you stand with each other now. And I fully support what Ash said earlier, we're both here for you guys” Calum sighed.

“I know I was judgemental when you told me that you and Luke were hooking up together and I was also worried about you when the two of you broke the news that you were dating. And I can only imagine how it feels to be reminded of what happened like this. So I'm not going to say 'I told you so' about any of this, because you can't fool me. I know that reliving the past was only a small part of the reason you spend the past few weeks hidden away from everyone and everything.” Calum paused to take a deep breath then gently laid a hand on Michael's arm. “If you every need to talk, vent or just need a friend, I'm here for you okay?”

Michael was too choked up to say anything so he nodded his head rapidly and tried his hardest to blink away the tears. Calum did him the favour of pretending that he couldn't see the tears and turned back to the movie. Micheal stared straight ahead, not even seeing the TV screen until the next ad break, where he felt his resolve crumble and relaxed into Calum's side. Too many years had passed since they had last done that, cuddling together and watched a movie. Thinking about it, Micheal realised that all that had changed once Luke came on to the screen and then he wasn't able to keep the tears away. Calum gently ran his fingers through Michael's hair until he calmed down.

“We tried so hard to keep it all together.” Michael eventually admitted. “But just before the holidays it got to a point where everything was just too much. Neither of us felt that the band would work while we were still together. We were fighting over something stupid and insignificant the day before... That's when we decided that maybe being together wasn't the best thing for us anymore, that it wasn't going to work out, not in the way we had hoped or wanted. Or they way I had hoped and wanted.” Michael trailed off taking some shaking breaths while he tried to wrap his mouth around the rest of what he felt he had to say.

“It was meant to be a mutual break up,” Michael sobbed, unable to hold back the tears any more, not now that he'd started to talk about it. “But this doesn't feel mutual.” Michael hiccuped as tears streamed down his face.

Calum let Michael share the bed with him that night. Another thing they hadn't done since Luke and Michael had gotten together, well before the band had even made it off the ground. Michael shed a few tears over that as well.

 

 

 

At their rehearsal the next day Calum and Ashton made sure that Luke and Michael weren't left alone. Michael knew that it wasn't because they didn't trust either of them, but because they didn't know how this break up was going to affect the band, and they wanted to be there to step in if necessary. Which didn't bother Michael in the slightest. Even seeing Luke from across the room had him breathing heavily and that clenching pain starting up in his chest again. Everything would be fine.

It had to be.

 


End file.
